Oh, the ants you’ll see...

Here’s a list of ants you might encounter, courtesy of Dr. Corrie Moreau of the Field Museum.

Ÿ Pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum): These are the small ants you see in big numbers on sidewalks. And that big pile of ants is more than likely a fight between neighboring colonies. “These battles are to determine territorial boundaries and often result in many casualties,” Moreau said.

Ÿ Field ants (Formica pallidefulva): Found in open grassland and woodland habitats, often seen foraging on flowers for nectar.

Ÿ Wood ants (in the Formica fusca group): Can be found tending aphids and other sap-feeding insects for honeydew. They like to hang out in lawns and gardens.

Ÿ Eastern Dracula ant (Amblyopone pallipes): Not usually encountered by most people. Moreau said the ant gets its name because the adults feed on the blood of the young of their own colony. “It is considered nondestructive cannibalism since it does not seem to harm the young ant larvae,” she said.

Ÿ Eastern black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus): Can be pests inside and out. Although they don’t actually eat wood, they can cause damage as they bore through wood to expand their living quarters. If you do see a large ant you don’t recognize, Moreau recommends capturing it in a jar and consulting an exterminator.